It’s been about a year and a half since Helldivers was released on the PlayStation 5 and PC. Since its release, I’ve felt like that meme of Squidward looking at SpongeBob and Patrick having fun outside while he’s alone in his room. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case because Helldivers 2 is now playable on the Xbox Series X|S. Because of this, I’ve joined in on the fight to help spread managed democracy across the galaxy in the name of Super Earth.
Helldivers 2
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
Price: $39.99
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (reviewed)
MonsterVine was supplied with an Xbox Series X code for review
One of Helldivers 2’s strongest aspects is its community. The game does a fantastic job of encouraging its players to roleplay and invest in the world. This can be seen in the game’s opening cinematic, which serves as propaganda to join the Helldivers, as well as other ways, such as the major orders players receive and the war map they get to look at. Even though there’s a loose story of Helldivers fighting back the various armies across the galaxy, a lot of homebrew missions can come out of regular missions you find yourself doing.
For example, one mission might involve you in the jungles of a hostile planet, fighting hordes of Automatons. But due to the role-playing aspect, that simple mission has now turned into you and your buddies going deep behind enemy lines to disrupt their factories from making more killer robots. If that doesn’t do it for you, then any mission where you find yourself fighting the Illuminates in an urban environment will surely inspire you to protect every NPC you come across, because it’s your civic duty to do so as a Helldiver. The nice cherry on top of all of this is that if you manage to survive even one mission with the same Helldiver, you’ll see the wartorn marks on your armor, which really sell the idea of you being one soldier in a war that’s larger than you think.
Story beats aside, Helldivers 2 offers a lot in gameplay, too, and that’s largely thanks to each faction and their unique playstyles. Each time players visit the war map, they can pick from three different unique races to go up against: the Terminids, Automatons, and the Illuminate. If you’re looking to fight hordes of bug monsters that come rushing at you, then the Terminids are the perfect opponents to go up against. Still, if you’re looking to go up against killer robots with an onslaught of firepower, then the Automatons are an ideal opponent. If you want to fight your typical sci-fi alien race with UFOs, then the Illuminate are the ones you want to fight.
Before loading into each level, you’ll be tasked with a series of missions to complete. These serve as operations, and your amount will vary based on your playing difficulty. Some of these missions can be as simple as holding an area for a few minutes or as complex as obtaining some launch codes that’ll send an ICBM missile flying towards an enemy stronghold. As you’re running around completing these objectives, there are various minor ones scattered throughout the map, as well as premium currency and items that players can use to upgrade their equipment, waiting to be found.
Each mission objective completed contributes to the overall goal of liberating the planet from its invaders and preventing the enemies from reaching Super Earth. To revisit the war map topic, each time someone looks at it, they’ll see how close an enemy faction is to Super Earth, and the primary goal of the whole game is to ensure no one reaches it. It’s also worth pointing out that this has already happened once with the Illuminate invasion, but this was before the game released on the Xbox Series X|S, so here’s to hoping that doesn’t happen again.
While playing Helldivers 2, you are constantly told that you’re some of the best and brightest that Super Earth has to offer in its galactic war, and the game is good at making you feel like that a lot of the time, too. As you progress through the game and earn your stripes, you’ll eventually unlock bigger, better Stratagems that give you stronger gear for various missions. This is great because more often than not, these upgrades can make all the difference in a firefight. But calling them in isn’t as easy as one would think. Because to call one in, you have to use the D-Pad and input a code to activate it, but the catch is that if you get even one wrong, you’ll have to input the code all over again. Trying to call in a Stratagem while getting jumped by hordes of aliens is never an easy thing to do, especially when it’s an important one you need.
On the other hand, the game also does a great job of making you feel weak compared to the enemies you’re facing. This only makes sense when you remember that you’re just human when you’re going toe-to-toe with larger-than-life aliens. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I found myself getting manhandled by hordes of aliens or simply blown away by a weapon that vastly exceeds anything Super Earth has to offer. Even though this does happen a lot, it’s far from discouraging, quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. Every loss I was handed only encouraged me to do better and run it back with a new strategy to help ensure I completed whatever mission I was tasked with.
Helldivers 2 delivers chaotic, squad-based action
Of course, a shooter is only as fun as its gunplay, and I’m happy to report that Helldivers excels at this. The game leans more towards realism in that every gun has recoil, and the longer you shoot, the worse your aim gets, but that just adds to the chaotic charm that is Helldivers 2. Nothing feels more cinematic than when you find yourself holding down an area with a machine gun while your buddy calls in an air strike to help clear the area.
All this fun is only elevated when you play with friends, too. It’s almost impossible to imagine going into a level solo because it’s clear that the game was meant to be played with other people, and it shows. There’s nothing like going into a mission with a clear goal with buddies, only to quickly go haywire because the enemies have called in a tank of that caliber to disrupt whatever you had planned. That’s not to say there isn’t fun for those looking to play by themselves. The handful of missions I did solo were a lot of fun, but they didn’t hit the same level as when I was playing with a squad of people.
The Final Word
All in all, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic game. The way it blends its live-service aspects with the overall narrative is a breath of fresh air. Helldivers 2 is filled with plenty of cinematic moments that’ll often leave you on the edge of your seat. It’s great to see Sony and Xbox get along because consumers like you and I can now enjoy more games on our platform of choice.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
